Poll: Should our species be exempt from culling?

[ssgt splatter]

World War 3 is the answer to that problem.

What he said.

I know we are a very dangerous species. But I'm not the kind of person who'll be considered a hippie or tree hugger...since I don't want Cartman to pepper spary me and lock me in his basement. XD

 

[HardkorSB]

What are you talking about?
People are killing each other all the time.
They just aren't doing it fast enough so the population keeps growing.

 

[ZtH]

From my understanding what we need to do to stop the overflow of spiral energy destroying the universe is to make enough spiral energy to circumvent that. Isn't that obvious?

Jokes aside culling is a terrible idea.

 

[RastaBadger]

What we need is to have a large war that will drop the population significantly with the remaining humans splitting off into factions. Then we need someone, lets call him Zefram Cochrane for now, to create some manner of travelling faster than the speed of light, lets call it a warp drive. We then need to make first contact with an alien species, lets call them Vulcans, and create an alliance with them and many other races, lets call it the United Federation of Planets.

 

[Slycne]

In about a billion years, long after human life has gone extinct from war, famine, plague, aggressive culling, etc; when nature has reclaimed our cities and everything is leaving in perfect harmonious double rainbow utopia.

Our sun with expand into a red giant, engulfing it and burning our whole planet into nothing.

 

[Tony Murlin]

I'll try to be as, er, sensible as I can be in regards to this topic. In the grand scheme of things, Humanity is about as meaningful as an Amoeba... which is to say utterly meaningless and, at the same time, of the utmost importance. If a single Amoeba or the entire Human Race were wiped out, life would go on and there would be no one or nothing that would give a crap.

Yet, at the same time, both the Amoeba and the entire Human Race are absolute trimphs of physics and chemistry. Any life, all life, is such a rare and beautiful thing because most of the shit out there is just dead rock and empty space. And Hydrogen. Lots o' that shit too.

People who say humanity is the "monster" are wrong simply because we're no different than any other living species with power. We fight, fuck, and eat way too much and will, eventually, eat and fuck our way into our own natural culling as starvation and disease ravage Humanity and bring our population levels back down into a sensible level. We might be able to prolong the agony with science, but the existence of superbacteria like MRSA and whatnot say to me that it won't work for too long.

No matter how much a single Ameoba or the Human Race tries, all things eventually flow back into equilibrium. Also, in the end, it doesn't matter how much damage we do to this planet, 'cause once were gone (either into space or six feet deep) it'll repair itself and start the whole crazy process over again.

So, you ask if we should be exempt from culling? No, because culling Humanity is meaningful only to Humanity, just as culling Deer is only really meaningful to Deer. But a line should be drawn between culling and extinction. I think the Human Race could use a decent predator... it'd certainly make our continued evolution interesting. There is absolutely nothing about humanity that is no better or no worse than any other living creature on the planet. We all do the exact same things, commit the same sins: we all murder, rape, commit incest, go to war, and live life like our species is the only species worth a damn. More hippy types seem to think Humanity is alone in the world regarding this... and to this I say they need to pay more attention to how nature actually works.

All life is special, all life is sacred, and sometimes living means other things need to die. That is nature. We're not apart from that (yet) in any way, shape, or form. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, I say.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. Or just crazy.

Love, Peace, and Chicken Grease,
T-Bag

 

[Azure Sky]

In about a billion years, long after human life has gone extinct from war, famine, plague, aggressive culling, etc; when nature has reclaimed our cities and everything is leaving in perfect harmonious double rainbow utopia.

Our sun with expand into a red giant, engulfing it and burning our whole planet into nothing.

Too true.

Although, I guess it is a bit of a dream to hope that humanity can pull its shite together, become non-destructive, self sufficient and get off this rock before good ol' Sol decides to have a planetary snack. =3

Buuut that assumes we don't blow each other up like morons first.
Derp.. =(

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Aw, did someone just watch Smith's speech in the Matrix for the first time?

 

[matt87_50]

unfortunetly you can't really do that... people *****...

basically what should be implemented is birth control...

like China's one child per family policy.

alternativeness, we could just take the safety labels off of everything and let natural selection solve the problem. I am genuinely for this solution...


of course, generally allowing families to have 2 to 3 kids should be sustainable, as you have those who choose to have less or none, or those who can't / die before they can have kids...

unfortunetly the planet is already way too overpopulated... this is the real concerning issue...

at this stage its not population growth you have to fear... its economic growth...

I saw this talk on TED and it basically said the richest 10% of the population use most of the power and resources...

so even if population growth stops, we are going to have a MASSIVE explosion in power and resource usage as the massive developing economies (China, India, Brazil ect) all... well... develop.

and as far as I'm concerned, anyone who says "well, maybe they just shouldn't develop" is a BIGGER dick than someone who would suggest human culling to solve the problem...

in short, I fear, even with the instant creation of a world wide one child per family policy, we still wouldn't cut the population fast enough to cancel out the increase in consumption from the vast majority of poorer people, becoming richer and consuming like the rich.

I'm afraid without big developments in green and sustainable technology, we are ALL going to be squished REAL HARD before the problem subsides... fortunetly - unlike the lazy, stupid, complacent first world... many of these developing economies SEE this problem comming, as always, the ever forward thinking Chinese are investing heavily in Green tech... again though... it still doesn't look like its gonna be enough to cancel out their growth in overall consumption (by which I mean, their consumption of fossil fuels ect, will still radically increase)


oh, but for some good news atleast... as these masses of poor become richer, it is expected that they will have far less kids (this is how it is now, the rich have far less kids than the poor)

...

but this natural reduction in population growth will STILL not be enough to solve our comming pain... our only hope is science.

 

[Spartan X1]

Humanity as a species is the most destructive force on this planet we are the only species that knowlingly destroys our environment, our atmosphere, and the extinction of other species. We have the gift of knowledge and we choose to burn the world to a cinder instead of using it to make a better place. With this view I do beleive the population does need to be monitered and controled but by civilized means like birth control.

 

[Valkyrie101]

Human wellbeing > planet's wellbeing.

The planet is, ultimately, irrelevant. Humanity is the only thing that matters, Earth is just a temporary home base for us. You call us disgusting for destroying the environment, but what's the point of the environment without us?

The audacity of this train of thought that humanity is the focal point of existence is the reason why some would elect to "cull" the human species. Honestly, it'd be best if humanity as a whole was extinguished, but striving towards such a goal would prove futile and counterproductive to my own existence. I lack an answer to solve the problem that is humanity, but it certainly is troubling. I would prefer if you would not add to my dismay by making such dismal statements.

Get rid of humanity and replace it with what? Trees? Flowers? What's the point of existence without sentient civilization?

Also, interesting fact: Earth is doomed. It will take a few billion years, but sooner or later the Sun is going to blow up and eat this planet. The only hope for life, long term, is humanity.

Strangely enough, I wholeheartedly agree with Zedel.

To your comment though. Humans didn't spring up as soon as the planet had life on it, it was coping plenty fine before we evolved/created/whatever your beliefs are/etc and started taking up space. So yes, giving it back to the trees, flowers and the like makes perfect sense.

But what are the trees and flowers going to do with Earth?

That would be irrelevant.

Totally off topic, but somewhat relevant as an example. If say.. you leave a [person] something in a will, what they then do with it is therefore irrelevant, as it is no longer within the power of the original owner, nor would they care as they are no longer around to witness the outcome. (Not that we actually own the planet, we just happen to have sprung up here.)

Besides, at the rate humanity is going, the death of this planet is going to be us, taking (most of) us along with it, far before any fluke comet/exploding sun/whatever your doomsday fancy is gets its change to have a shot.

The point I'm making is that we humans have unimaginable potential: just look at how far we've come in the last five thousand years. Trees and flowers have zero potential, and literally do not have minds, so should be disregarded.

 

[radioactive lemur]

I sincerely hope this thread is a joke, it's just sick. Otherwise, according to you people, Hitler and Stalin would not have been unspeakable monsters, just responsible environmentalists. Even the culling of animals is wrong. I have nothing against killing animals for meat, but we need to stop trying to control everything. Forget about "sustainability" and bullshit like that and just let nature run its fucking course.

EDIT: Although if you really want to lower the human population, all you environazis can feel free to start with your own fucking selves.

 

[DanielDeFig]

We don't actually have an overpopulation problem. we just have a food distribution problem. Just check out how much food is thrown away by the developed countries of the world, "because it would ruin the economy if we gave it away for free" (at least, that's my guess as to what their excuse is for not giving it away. Not an entirely unreasonable argument, but maybe that proves that the economic system is broken too)

Besides who would you start with? The "defective" humans, that would include myself due to my congenital heart defect. It would also include all people who need glasses, are blind, or deaf, or insane. Maybe you want to move on to the left-handed and the fat, and then the ugly (bald?).

See the problem? I personally find that one of the greatest achievements of humankind is to find ways for those with natural mutations, that would otherwise doom them in the wild, to live as equals among those with mutations that have a better chance of surviving the wild (but maybe I'm bias?).

 

[silentsentinel]

We already cull ourselves.

It's called war.

 

[Dimitriov]

Just wondering if the 132 of you who have so far voted in favor of human culling are volunteering?

Because otherwise your opinion would seem to lack conviction.

 

[PrinceofPersia]

The ideal way to do this is the Mass Effect way, engineer a virus/bacteria/etc that makes breading much more difficult.

Have you seen that George Carlin routine?

"What would the earth do if it was trying to get rid of us? Hmmm, viruses, they seem to vulnerable to those... And let's make it spread sexually, making them a little reluctant to breed. Hmm, perhaps something that attacks their immune system, making them vulnerable to anything else that might come along."

The problem with with that virus is that it kills the person rather than keeping them from reproducing.

Have you played mass effect, btw?

Actually considering the OP's statement about 'culling' humanity I say that good old AIDS should fit the bill. On a slightly kinder note I have a simple solution: make a world wide lottery and the winners get shot off into space with the materials they need to build colonies and then wash you hands of the whole affair. Next get the folks that lost to help clean up the earth and none of this forced labor crap, we'll do this honestly by having them get paid for their work.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I'm betting that the people who are all for the cull won't be first in line if it ever comes around. In fact, if it's so necessary, why haven't all gone on killing sprees or offed yourselves already? If we brought in a cull we would have to decide who to cull, which is a moral issue that I think is completely impossible for anyone to decide. If you think you can, then kindly beat your head against a wall. Not having the cull is the lesser of two evils.

 

[Plurralbles]

I woulda' said that maybe a world war would help but then again... the never-before-seen rate of scientific advancement during and after the wars were astounding and probably helped us get to the situation of being as bad as we are- at the very small cost of 50 million of us.

 

[Azure Sky]

The point I'm making is that we humans have unimaginable potential: just look at how far we've come in the last five thousand years. Trees and flowers have zero potential, and literally do not have minds, so should be disregarded.

So... Should we kill off all the plants and trees then? How about insects? or even half the other far inferior species could probably go as well. They are obviously in the way our progression to ascend to out rightful place as gods of this world? [/sarcasm]

Okay, that was probably quite offensive and distasteful to people, so apologies where needed.

Seriously though I am probably one of the first people to admit that I dislike other people, even put back in context, the superior-species entitlement some people have these days is quite disturbing.

I highly agree with Spartan though.

Humanity as a species is the most destructive force on this planet we are the only species that knowlingly destroys our environment, our atmosphere, and the extinction of other species. We have the gift of knowledge and we choose to burn the world to a cinder instead of using it to make a better place. With this view I do beleive the population does need to be monitered and controled but by civilized means like birth control.

While trying to work out how to perform some sort of culling would be amusing (Someone mentioned a lottery? That was quite genius.) I would have to say I am against.
I do fall into the category of people that think something needs to be done however.

 

[SilentCom]

Another word for culling is genocide. Since people are intelligence enough to dominate this planet, we should be intelligent to not screw it up. Efforts are in progress, though still in the beginning stage, to reverse the damage and over-population.